


Letters from the Garden Girl

by andy_beloved



Category: Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb, Realm of the Elderlings - Robin Hobb, Tawny Man Trilogy - Robin Hobb
Genre: Canon Compliant, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andy_beloved/pseuds/andy_beloved
Summary: Short letters sent by Garetha to her mother about her mysterious pale friend.
Relationships: Fool&Garetha, Lord Golden&Garetha
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	1. First Letter

Dear Mother,

  
I made a friend.  
I must admit I was fearful of him as any other child in the Keep. He is as white as a phantom and I am not yet convinced he isn't an otherworldly creature. But, mother, he is gentle. You would be surprised to find that such cold hands have such a soft touch that is capable of calming your heart.  
I found him today in the garden. He was a fright to behold, so pale in the middle of such colorful flowers. He was bleeding a little. I heard the servants talk about how sometimes the other children threw him rocks and did many other awful things. I suppose they want him to be afraid of them as they are of him. As soon as I saw him I turned to go back to the kitchen. I confess I was trying to run away. He stopped me with the single word "please". I never heard such emotion in a word before. It was a desperate pleading that would haunt me if I tried to ignore it. So, I turned to meet his eyes and he asked me to help with the wounds.  
Mother, it is hard to stop his tongue. Even with the bruises on his face, he told me about how he doesn't like to go to an healer and how he just found out the best time to go to the kitchens to steal cakes without being seen. He told other stories, but none of them about himself and most of them he turned into a jest. I was surprised that he could talk so much when I never heard him utter a word before and even more surprised that it was me he was talking to.  
When I finished helping him tend the wounds he helped me tend the flowers. He has some knowledge of plants and I could finish my work much faster. When he was ready to leave I was prepared to accept this moment as having no impact in the future, but he asked my name. When I told him he found it beautiful and promised we would meet again.  
Mother, no one besides you ever found me interesting enough to want to meet again. I must confess it made me happy and gave me hope for better days.

Love,  
Garetha


	2. Second Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second letter. Still following the events in the Farseer trilogy.

Sweet mother, 

I apologize for writing so late. This is not because the last days have been uneventful, but the contrary.  
I have been meeting the phantom boy almost every day. I would never have though he would enjoy tending the garden so much. I suspect he is hiding from the other children and that the garden is now a safe hideout. I don’t ask him about it. I enjoy our silent moments together as much as his stories and jests.  
He showed an interest in my life that no one has ever shown before. Every story I tell him about my life makes him smile as if he is glad to be hearing it. His widest smiles happen when I speak about you. I asked about his life and his family, but he is always so vague. He didn't even reveal to me his name.  
As secretive as he is I am glad he is my friend. I am happy now that I have someone with whom to share my thoughts and feelings. I am starting to anxiously wait for his visits and my head turns when I hear the faint jingling of bells. My mood darkens when he doesn't show and I don’t do my work as properly as I know I should.  
I have never had a friend before. Not like him. No one that ever showed interest in the quiet shy girl. He does show up most days, even if it is a brief visit. I wonder if he craves the company as much as I.  
Yesterday he gave me a wooden doll with carefully painted flowers on her head. I sleep with with it beside me. Incredible how such a tiny detailed thing can put a smile in my face and calm my nerves. As a gesture of gratitude I left some flowers at his door and I believe he kept them. He seems to be happy around flowers. I want to give him flowers every day. I do like to see him smile.  
The happiest moment of my day is when I sit down to write you these letters. I hope you are doing well. I am sending you flowers this time. They are starting to bloom so beautifully that there must be magic in those pale hands.

Sincerely,  
Garetha


	3. Third Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garetha receives news that her mother is sick and that is the main thing on her mind. Her worries don't let her write much about her little friend this time.

My dear Mother, 

Your last letter worries me and I have been restless ever since. I hope you recover soon and that as the healer says it is only a cold. Follow his advice and don’t get out of bed. I know how stubborn you can be. In fact, I know it so well it is hard for me to sit here writing this letter instead of packing to meet you in this instant. Let me know if you got better since your last letter and don’t lie. I will be there with you as soon as I receive news that you are still unwell. Don’t think you can trick me, for I have also sent a letter to the healer. The keep wouldn’t miss me for a few days and you need me more than anyone here.   
I am glad you are happy about my friendship and that it lifted a weight from your heart. You worry too much about me, mother. My friend is well. He is still as pale as ever and as reluctant as ever to reveal anything about himself. I am not sure he believes he fools me with his distractions, but I pretend I don’t notice his intentions. As long as he keeps being with me and as long as my heart keeps beating so happily and my face keeps getting so warm I don’t care about what he has to hide.  
I am sending you more flowers. These I tended myself and it was a pleasure to see them grow and become this beautiful. These flowers are as black and white as my jester friend’s motley. I hope you like them and that they bring a smile to your face and help in your recovery.

Best wishes,  
Garetha


	4. Fourth Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The years have passed and Garetha ended up going back home to take care of her mother. When she came back to Buckkeep she found her friend gone and had no hopes of meeting him again. Many years later the mysterious friend comes back looking very different and with a new position in court.

Dearest mother, 

He is a lord now. Remember the pale friend of my childhood? The court jester that so often helped me in the garden? He is back. You must remember well how upset I was when I arrived in Buckkeep to find him gone and a traitor. I missed him when he was revealed a hero and I never saw or heard about him in years. Now he is back.   
He is much changed. His pale color turned to gold and he looks like an expensive moving portrait. As changed as he is I would recognize him anywhere. He still has the same kind eyes and a wide smile. His voice is different, but that seems to be a trick. Now it is said he came from Jamaillia. I have never been to Jamaillia, but I don’t believe it to be the truth. My old friend is still a mystery.   
I started sending him flowers as I used to in hopes he would remember me. I don’t want to be hurt, but I can’t help myself to hope he missed me as I missed him. He seems more unapproachable than ever and I know what I am doing is foolish. Yet, I can’t stop myself from doing it.   
Every day that passes and he doesn’t notice me eases my pain. I am starting to be content with admiring him from afar. Lords and jesters don't marry poor garden girls. 

Warmly,  
Garetha


	5. Last Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe you noticed that the first letter started with "Dear Mother, I made a friend." and the last one starts with "My beloved mother, He doesn't love me." That was no coincidence. That is because I think I am clever. I obviously am not.

My beloved mother, 

He doesn't love me.   
When he called me to his rooms my heart was tight with fear. Not fear of rejection, but fear because I was found out and had no idea what was going to happen. I would lie if I said part of me wasn't also excited and hopeful about this. That didn’t last. My heart leapt when his eyes met mine again and he kissed my hand. He apologized profusely and returned my flowers. His heart belongs to another as my heart belongs to him. He was so careful and gentle with his words, but I still couldn’t stop the tears falling from my eyes. He did his best to comfort me in his own way, but I am sure he knew what I was going through and that healing would come with time and not with any words he might say. In the end he admitted he was glad to see me again. He put a necklace with a flower he carved himself around my neck and kissed my cheek. I was sure this was our last goodbye and that made me weep even more. I was wrong.  
Today I found a note attached to a white rose in the garden. I recognized his hand instantly. He politely asked to renew our friendship. I wrote him a hasty reply begging him for time to heal. I don’t want to risk meeting him so soon when my heart still bleeds for him. I hope that someday we can meet as friends and walk together in the gardens in complete honesty and acceptance. Even if that day comes I am sure I will never be able to forget him. 

Love,   
Garetha


End file.
